Falling For You
by R.I.Parson
Summary: Molly was always the adventurous sort, but her lack of caution adds danger to even the most simple of tasks. Will she fall before she revives the land, or will the strong arms of a man with the likeness of Indiana Jones catch her? MollyxCalvin


Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon or its characters. They belong to Natsume.

Author's Note: Okay, this was originally supposed to be a prologue for a fanfiction about the child of Molly and Calvin, but the turn-out was something completely singular from that story. However! I liked it, so I thought I would share what I got. ^-^ Reviews would be loved!

_**Chapter One: Fate**_

"_Desperate for changing_

_Starving for truth_

_I'm closer to where I started_

_Chasing after you…"_

_Hanging by a Moment by Lifehouse_

"_An isolated island in a sea of red."_ It could mean only one thing—the lowest level of Garmon Mines. While Molly owned one of the most profitable farms in the area, she fancied herself to be one thing above all: an adventurer. Donned in her 'Hero' outfit, the brunette made her way down the different levels of the mine in search of the treasure of the Map of Fire; the temperature rising progressively as she got closer and closer to the sea of lava that awaited her at the bottom. Finn, her magical sprite companion, was becoming apprehensive of the dangers that lay ahead and voiced his opinions blatantly as he buzzed about her head.

"Gah! Molly, maybe this was a bad idea. A sea of lava sounds pretty dangerous! And—and—we still haven't saved the land! If you fall into the lake of fire you're toast." Molly's jingling laugh ricocheted in the darkness, echoing eerily before slowly fading away. Finn's tiny hands grasped the blue fabric of her shirt as she searched for the next flight of stairs.

"Very 'punny', Finn," she responded jovially, "But I don't plan on dying today."

Anticlimactically, this was the moment that the unstable ground beneath her decided to give away under her feet. Molly released a scream of surprise as she began to fall through the crumbling earth. Finn acted quickly by pulling at the sleeve of her shirt, but his small wings weren't enough to keep her up. Luckily, Molly managed to grasp some solid ground before she fell through completely.

Heat licked at the heels of her booted feet, wrapping around her in a gust of scorching air. Honey-brown eyes darted downward to see that she was mere yards away from the glowing pool of molten rock she had been journeying toward. A surprised gasp filled her lungs with stale, hot air. As the intensity of the situation settled in, Molly began to strain to pull herself up. Her small, muscular arms tensed and her feet scrambled about trying to find perchance against some rock but only found air as she attempted to hoist herself up and onto safe ground. Remnants of the insecure floor fell past her to splash in the red-hot sea. Molly managed to inch her way closer to the opening, but her muscles could only manage to get her half-way. She attempted three more times before the soreness of her arms became too extreme. Molly never had been good at pull-ups in gym… She scoffed at her own weakness gently.

It felt like she had been hanging there for an eternity, dangling helplessly like a ragdoll. Every second seemed to sap more of her stamina away from her. Finn had been oddly quiet since she had fallen. Had he given up on her? She pressed her lips together as she contemplated what it would be like in the afterlife. Would she go to heaven? Would she be reborn?

"Finn?" Molly called out, voice wavering in her anxiety. There was no response.

Sweat beaded at the base of her black Pirate's Headband, trickling down her brow to the tip of her nose before falling. Her palms were perspiring as well. Fingertips growing numb from the pressure put on them, Molly shifted her fingers in attempt to get a better hold of the ground. Wrong move… The moment that her grip slackened on the slick rocks, her hands slid from their place and she began to fall. With a cry, the farmer squeezed her eyes shut. Suddenly—something clasped around her wrist tightly, bringing her fall to a jerking stop. Honey-brown eyes snapped open to see the silhouette of a ten-gallon hat, cerulean eyes shining in the shadow that it cast. "Whoa! That was a close one!" The stranger exclaimed as he carefully pulled Molly up to solid ground. Supported by a strong arm, Molly gazed down at the lava one last time, then her eyes rolled back in her head and she went limp in the arms of her savior.

~ ~ ~ Calvin's POV ~ ~ ~

The moment that he had brought the girl to her feet, he could see her legs waver beneath her. Calvin readied himself to catch her in case she lost consciousness; it did not take but one glance at the lake of lava that she had almost fallen into to instigate this action, and she crumpled neatly into his strong arms. Chuckling, Calvin slowly moved the girl to sit with her back resting against the wall of the cave. He hadn't been in the town for two days, and already he had been on an adventure! Harmonica Town would surely make a good home for the researcher.

Sapphire eyes scanned over the sleeping form of the lady, looking for any indication of broken bones or deep cuts. Luckily, she had managed to get off with a few minor scrapes and bruises. "What was a gal like you doing down here, I wonder?" He questioned aloud. As if to answer his question, a piece of parchment floated down to the ground at his booted feet. Calvin reached out and plucked the paper from the ground, and noted that it was an aged map. "An isolated island in a sea of red, eh? Looks like I saved a treasure hunter," he murmured, looking back at his unconscious companion. While her face was smudged with dirt and sweat, the features beneath the grime were soft and gentle.

As he watched, heavy lids seemed to flutter gently as the woman began to regain cognizance. She groaned lightly, covering her face with her dainty hands for a moment before uttering something almost inaudible in a dry voice. "Finn?" Calvin blinked. _Did she just say 'fin'?_ Wiping the sweat from her brow, the lady finally lowered her hands to look around groggily. "Welcome back to the living, Miss," Calvin greeted light-heartedly, causing the girl to jerk in surprise. "Easy, there. We wouldn't want you to faint again, would we?" Calvin tipped his hat slightly with the tip of his index finger and offered a charming smile. "You know, this place is full of dangers like that fissure there. A woman shouldn't come here by herself."

Briefly distracted, the woman seemed to snap to attention at his comment. Her full lips pressed into a thin line as she crossed her arms across her chest. "Do not condemn my gender due to my own carelessness. I simply failed to notice the cracks until I was falling through them. I've been exploring these caves for several weeks now, but it's hard to determine where they are when it's so dark," she said defensively. Calvin blinked, rather taken aback by her response, and threw his hands up in exasperation. "Sorry, miss, I didn't mean for it to come out that way. Maybe you should bring a flashlight next time? I would hate for you to fall through another fissure at a time when I'm not around."

Actually, he had come across the distressed damsel rather fortuitously. His hat had somehow managed to be blown off of his head by a mysterious wind, and it landed a few feet away from the girl. Thinking back, Calvin was certain that it was not possible for such a gust of wind to have knocked his cap off. _Could it be possible that something was bringing me to her rescue? _He had heard about the magical legends of Castanet; in fact, it was these legends that had drawn him to live in Harmonica Town. As childish as beliefs in folklore and magic sounded, Calvin's mind was open to the impossible. He thrived in the mysteries of the world. _Perhaps the Harvest Goddess has fated us to meet this day._ The sweet sound of a voice brought the adventurer from his romanticisms. He looked up to see that the girl had gotten to her feet and was brushing dirt from the wounds on her legs.

"—the shop. Anyways, thank you for saving me, but I should really be getting back to treasure hunting. I've come too far to back down!" A look of determination crossed the girl's angelic face, lighting fires within her eyes. Calvin chuckled with a shake of his head and pushed himself up to stand with her. "Well, as a fellow adventurer, I know that it would be pointless to try to stop you. Here." He held out the map that he had picked up, earning a grin from the young woman as she accepted it.

"Thanks! Though, I pretty much have this thing memorized. I'll be seeing you around, right?" She inquired curiously, tilting her head to the side in a most becoming manner. He nodded.

"Yep, I'm staying at the Inn in town. The name's Calvin. I'm an…explorer, of sorts, here to uncover the secrets of Castanet. I have a feeling I'm going to be frequenting these mines, so I might see you in here." Or, at least, he hoped to be seeing her around.

"I'm Molly. I run a farm down the road from Harmonica Town. Adventuring is a part-time job for me, you might say, so I run amuck everywhere." She winked playfully and twirled around on her toe gracefully, darting off. "I'll be seeing you, Calvin!" She called back. As she retreated into the distance, Calvin's gaze followed the swing of her hips. _That's an ass that deserves to be chased after._ "My kind of woman," he murmured, smiling inwardly.


End file.
